Bobcats Take Five-Set Thriller from Fordham

Friday, September 9

Grand Forks, ND

5 p.m. (MT)

Montana State University

3-5,0-0Big Sky

Fordham

5-2,0-0Atlantic 10

Montana St.

Fordham

Emma Pence (middle) and company celebrate a Bobcat point.

Photo by: Russell Hons

9/9/2022 9:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“It was very satisfying to come out with a five-set win,” said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. “We learned from our five-set losses that we need to attack the game, and not wait for it come to us. We did an outstanding job from the service line, especially in the fifth set and we were able to put them on their heels.”

By: Tom Schulz

After dropping four five-set matches in the early non-conference season, the Montana State volleyball team finally came out on the winning end of a match that went the distance, rallying for a 25-15, 23-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-7 victory over Fordham to capture the title at the North Dakota Tournament, Friday night in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

"It was very satisfying to come out with a five-set win," said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. "We learned from our five-set losses that we need to attack the game, and not wait for it come to us. We did an outstanding job from the service line, especially in the fifth set and we were able to put them on their heels."

Montana State (3-5) looked strong early outhitting Fordham (5-2) .289 to .081. The Bobcats used four kills from Courtney Weatherby, while Jordan Radick and Avery Turnage added three, apiece, to lift MSU to a 10-point win.

MSU struggled offensively in sets two and three, hitting just .031, while the Rams posted a .151 attack mark to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.

Leading 15-14 midway through the fourth frame, the Bobcats went on a 4-1 run to take a 19-15 lead following an Emma Pence kill. Fordham would get no closer than two points as the Bobcats forced a fifth set as Radick's kill gave MSU the 25-22 victory.

The Bobcats got out to a quick 4-1 lead in the final set getting two aces from Lauren Lindseth and one via Maci Abshier. A Weatherby ace gave MSU an 8-2 advantage as the team switched sides.Fordham rattled off a 4-1 run of its own to close to within 9-6, but the Bobcats closed the door behind two kills from Turnage, an ace by setter Audrey Hofer and a kill by Radick.

MSU outhit Fordham .471 to .222 in the final set and dished out five service aces.

"We did a nice job with our first contact and were able to establish our pins which allowed our middles to have a very efficient match," Jones said. "We had moments where we broke down, but I really liked the way responded."

Turnage and Jourdain Klein led the Bobcats with 11 kills apiece, while Pence and Weatherby each had 10. Radick finished with eight kills and a .438 attack mark. Pence posted a .421 attack mark.

Hofer dished out 38 assists and had a team-high four aces.
Defensively, Weatherby paced MSU with 22 digs, while Lindseth added 18, Abshier 11 and Hofer 11. Radick and Pence combined for 10 blocks.

Pence, a junior from Carson City, Nevada, was named tournament MVP, while Lindseth and Radick were named all-tournament.

MSU plays at North Dakota State on Saturday at 9 a.m. (MT) in Fargo.